Blowback seal for building panels

ABSTRACT

DISCLOSED IS A PANEL A PLURALITY OF WHICH MAY BE USED TO SURFACE THE EXTERIORS (ROOF AND/OR SIDES) OF BUILDINGS. THE PANEL IS PREFABRICATED AND INCORPORATES THE SHEATHING, WATERPROOFING, SINGLING AND SHAKES OFTEN FOUND IN BUILDING SURFACING OF HIGH QUALITY AND IS INSTALLED IN ABUTTING VERTICAL COURSES EACH COURSE CONTAINING AS MANY ADJACENT PANELS AS REQUIRED BY THE ROOF DIMENSIONS. THE PANEL IS SUBSTANTIALLY MODULAR SO THAT ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF ONSITE CUSTOM FITTING IS REQUIRED AS COMPARED TO CONVENTION-   AL CONSTRUCTION. IN ADDITION, THE PANEL INCLUDES PROVISION FOR INHIBITING THE SEEPAGE OF WATER INTO THE BUILDING ATTIC EVEN AS A RESULT OF RAIN DRIVEN BY INTENSE WIND.

Feb-W75 J.K.KOUGH ErAL (3%,2'7571 BLOWBACK SEAL FOR BUILDING PANEL FiledJan. 24, 1969 ATTORNEY United States Patent O 27,574 BLOWBACK SEAL FORBUILDING PANELS John K. Kough and Blair B. Kough, Morgan Hill, Calif.,assignors to Ditz-Crane, San Francisco, Calif.

Original No. 3,509,676, dated May 5, 1970, Ser. No.

793,865, Jan. 24, 1969. Application for reissue July 15, 1970, Ser. No.55,297

Int. Cl. E04d U26, U36

US. Cl. 52-541 9 Claims Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in theoriginal patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matterprinted in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Disclosed is a panel a plurality of which maybe used to surface the exteriors (roof and/or sides) of buildings. Thepanel is prefabricated and incorporates the sheathing, waterproofing,singling and shakes often found in building surfacing of high qualityand is installed in abutting vertical courses each course containing asmany adjacent panels as required by the roof dimensions. The panel issubstantially modular so that only a small amount of onsite customfitting is required as compared to conventional construction. Inaddition, the panel includes provision for inhibiting the seepage ofWater into the building attic even as a result of rain driven by intensewind.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to means for coveringthe exteriors of buildings and, more particularly, to a panel whichincorporates all of the materials frequently used for this purpose inone prefabricated assembly.

For many reasons, including weather resistance and attractiveness, apreferred covering for building exteriors has been shingles and shakesapplied over a sheathing and waterproofing membrane. A considerablenumber of prior attempts have been made to provide shake roofing orsiding which would avoid some or all of the conventional steps ofbundling the shakes, transporting the bundles to the site, applyingsheathing, applying waterproof membrane, hoisting the bundles of shakesto the roof or scaffold, breaking the bundles, and then applying theshakes, one at a time, all of which steps involve not only risk ofdamage to the building materials but increased time of installation andits attendant labor expense. Some of these structures have indeed shownsubstantial cost savings but have not been sufficiently weather tight topermit universal use, others have not had satisfactory shake surfaceappearance and still others have proven too costly to be competitive. Apanel characterized by none of the above deficiencies has been invented;it is shown, described and claimed in copending patent application Ser.No. 775,731, filed Nov. 14, 1968 and now abandoned.

An examination of the aforementioned application will indicate that, forthe first time, specific provision has been made in a building panel toattack the problem of entrance of moisture from rain or other watersource up into the interstices under and between components of the paneland onto the building attic. Despite the waterproof membrane which formspart of the panel, however, when the moisture is driven as by a harshwind, the panel structure has been found not as efficient as desired incoping with this blowback" penetration. The specific provision referredto above, as disclosed in the referenced application, comprises a panelassembly in which a membrane portion extending beyond the tops of theshingles and shakes if folded over the top edges of the latter and isstapled down to the upper surfaces of the shakes or, in the alternative,

Re. 27,574 Reissued Feb. 6, 1973 ICC an additional section of membranemay be installed in this fashion. This type of installation had beenexpected to provide a complete dam to blowback moisture because theresulting panel structure includes a double membrane barrier at theinterstice between the bottom of the shingle of one panel and the top ofthe shake of the subjacent panel and a membrane barrier on the jointsbetween shingles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION However, the above expectation has been onlypartially fulfilled; the described structure has been found to performquite satisfactorily under weather conditions which cause moderateblowback, but does not provide an absolute moisture barrier under verysevere conditions. Investigation has shown that moisture driven byexceptionally high winds may seep sufficiently so as to wet down theundersides of the shingles and shakes, and, at times, even thesheathing, and it has been concluded that entrances for moisture occurbetween shakes and between shingles and at the tops of the shakesbetween their irregular upper surfaces and the section of the membranewhich is above them.

The present invention, therefore, comprises means to provide a fiat,regular surface adjacent the top of the shingles and shakes, with whichsurface the membrane makes consistent and continuous contact and alsoprovides a solid barrier against wind-driven moisture along the entirelength of the panel. In its preferred embodiment, the improvement takesthe form of a barrier furring strip of wood of thickness sufilcient to[poject] project slightly above the upper surfaces of the shakesregardless of the combined thickness of shingle and shake at the top ofthe panel and which provides a wall facing the upper ends of theshingle-shake assemblies.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing theelements of the present novel building panel separated from each other;and

FIG. 2 is an oblique view of the present building panel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, the roof orwalls of a building can be covered with what appears to beindividually-applied natural wood shakes by means of a plurality ofpreassembled panels 5, which can be applied in a uniform and symmetricalmnnner by any roofer or carpenter, or even by an amateur having nospecial training or high degree of skill.

Each panel 5 comprises base strip 10, which may be a board, butpreferably is of exterior-grade plywood, about 12 inches wide and 6 or 8feet long. Each base strip 10 is covered with membrane 11 of suitablematerial such as tarred felt, which is coterminal with the ends of strip10, but may extend somewhat beyond its edges.

Upon membrane 11 and spaced downwardly (i.e. to the right in FIG. 1),for instance 2 inches, from the upper (left) edge of strip 10, isattached furring strip 14, a length of one inch wood, and abutting strip14, there are laid a course of shingles 12 and shakes l3. Shingles 12are of the conventional sawn type, of random width and about 15 incheslong and are flush with both ends of strip 10.

Upon each course of shingles 12 is laid a course of shakes 13, which maybe like conventional shakes in that one side would be formed bysplitting and the other side by sawing, or may have both sides split.Shakes 13 and shingles 12 are attached to base strip 10 in any suitablemanner, such as by nailing.

In making conventional shakes, wood blocks of random width, usually 24inches long, have shake blanks of varying thickness from /2 inch to 1%inches split therefrom. These shake blanks are then sawn in two, usuallyfree hand, by a diagonal band saw cut running from one end of the blankto the other. This saw cut divides each blank into two shakes, eachshake having a feather edge of substantially zero thickness at one endthereof, and the full thickness of the blank at the other. Any wavinessin this diagonal saw cut results in a thin spot in one of the shakes anda corresponding thick spot in the other.

In making shakes 13 of the present invention, however, the shake blanksneed not be as long as for regular shakes; a preferred length is only 15inches. Also, the shake blanks are all approximately one inch inthickness and may be produced by division in two medially of theirthickness as split by a straight saw cut parallel to one side of theblank, since shakes 13 are of approximately even thickness throughouttheir length, or by splitting at both sides according to the thicknessdesired. These are important simplifying, cost reducing and safetyfactors in the manufacture of shakes, since it is a dangerous andexacting job to make the free hand diagonal cuts which produce regularshakes, while the illustrative shakes 13 can be made on automatic orsemi-automatic machinery, using a fence parallel to the plane of the sawblade as a guide or by automatic splitting machinery only (i.e., withoutsawing).

The portion of the shakes which are exposed to the weather can be variedby varying the width of strip 10 and the spacing of the upper ends ofshakes 13 from the upper edge of strip 10. Suitable dimensions are asfollows:

The lower end of membrane 11 and the lower ends of shakes 13 andshingles 12 superposed thereon project 6 inches below the lower edge ofstrip 10; shakes 13 and shingles 12 each are 15 inches long; strip 10 is/1 inch thick and 12 inches wide; strip 14 is of a thickness sulficientsuch that its upper surface is slightly higher than the height of theshingle-shake abutting end, may serve as a gauge for positioning thenext high or lower panel, and is spaced 2 inches from, and parallel to,the upper edge of strip 10 upon which it is laid; membrane 11 extendsabout 1 or 2 inches above the upper edge of strip 10; the length ofpanel 5 may be 6 or 8 feet but may be varied at the option of themanufacturer or contractor. While these measurements are not limiting,they provide admirable siding or roofing, having about 11 inches of theshakes exposed as weatherlap.

In conventional roofing, sheathing may be laid solidly at the roof eavesand rakes whereas sheathing boards elsewhere may, for economy, bespaced. Solid sheathing is used at the caves and rakes to provide a goodappearance since their undersides are visible, and it is desired toavoid the unsightly contribution of the membrane, especially if itshould sag. The panels of the present invention obviate thisdisadvantage since, in an installation, only the material (i.e., wood)of base strips 10 are seen in a fairly attractive lapped form. Thus, nospecial provision need be made to decorate or hide the undersides ofcaves and rakes.

As already indicated, one of the most vexing problems in roofconstruction results from the seepage of water from rain or othermoisture up into the interstices under and between shakes and shinglesand into the building attic, a situation which is enhanced by theirregular upper surfaces of shakes 13. Ordinarily, the membrane often isfound incapable of damming it or directing it to flashing and gutters sothat it will be dissipated harmlessly. The present invention includesmeans to obviate this blowback effect completely. Accordingly, as shownin dashed line in FIG. 1, when panel 5 is assembled, membrane 11 may befolded around furring strip 14 to extend above the top ends of shingle12 and shake 13 and attached by means of staples 15 or nails, or if adouble layer of waterproofing is considered advisable, membrane 11 maybe permitted to lie flat on strip 10 and an additional width ofwaterproofing material inserted (preferably between membrane 11 andshingle 12, folded around and stapled as indicated above). As will soonbe shown, this type of installation provides a double membrane barrierat the interstice between the bottom of the shingle of one panel and thetop of the shake of the subjacent panel and a membrane barrier toblowback moisture which may seep upward in the joints between shingles.As should be apparent, this type of structure is admirably suited tosimpler installations which may provide only a single layer of woodinstead of both shingles and shakes; contemplated as illustrative wouldbe plywood sheathing under asbestos membrane under a shake layer, astructure which would reduce fire hazard as well as provide waterresistance.

FIG. 2 shows the end of panel 5, illustrating how upper surface 30 offurring strip 14 extends slightly above upper surface 32 of shake 13 atedge 34 of strip 114 where the ends of shingle 12 and shake 13 abut.Membrane 11 thus may be attached to strip 14 in close contact alongtheir lengths.

It may be well to review briefly some of the desirable features andadvantages possessed by the panels of the invention.

To a substantial extent, the panel may be made up at the factory,shipped on open flat railway cars (contrary to bundles of shingles andshakes which require protection during shipment) and may be handledeasily with standard equipment (fork lifts, etc.) since they are notconsidered fragile. Transportation is economical since a square in panelform occupies approximately the same space as a square of shingles andshakes, i.e., the base strip, sheathing and membrane are transported atvery little cost. At the site, since an 8 foot panel weighs about 40pounds and is reasonably dimensioned, it lends itself to conveying bybelt, elevator, etc. systems and it can easily be handed up from theground to the roof without employing machinery and, over most of theroof area, does not need to be cut because the ends need not meet overrafters; thus it lends itself to homeowner or nonprofessionalinstallation as well as installation by trained craftsmen. Codeinspection problems are minimized because of factory assembly and alsobecause of the selfgauging feature for adjacent courses, the high degreeof self-support and its adaptability to fool-proof watertightinstallation. The latter features also make the panel well suited forwalls and roofs in snow country without extra provision for support atoverhangs, etc.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference topreferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art that various changes in form may be made without departing fromits spirit and scope.

What is claimed is:

1. A panel for surfacing buildings, comprising:

a base sheathing strip;

a membrane extending over said sheathing strip;

a furring strip laid along the length of said sheathing strip and oversaid membrane;

a layer of roofing laid along the length of said sheathing strip andover said membrane and abutting against said furring strip; and

means to attach an extending end of said membrane to the upper surfaceof said furring strip so that said membrane folds over said furringstrip to form a watertight seal therebetween.

2. The panel of claim 1 wherein said roofing comprises a layer ofshingles and the like and a layer of shakes and the like thereover.

3. The panel of claim 1 wherein the upper surface of said furring stripextends above said roofing at the abutment.

4. A panel, a plurality of which are installed in abutting relationshipin a generally vertical course for surfacing buildings, the panelcomprising a sheathing having top and bottom edges, roofing material ofthe type comprising a plurality of shingles or shakes and having top andbottom edges and being fixed to said sheathing along the length of saidsheathing so that the top edge of said roofing material is parallel toand spaced from the top edge of said sheathing, a. strip fixed to saidsheathing and located between the top edge of said sheathing and the topedge of said roofing material so that one surface of said stripconfronts said sheathing and another surface of said strip confronts thetop edge of said roofing material, said strip being parallel to and inthe vicinity of the top edge of said sheathing.

5. A panel in accordance with claim 4 wherein said one surface of saidstrip is parallel with the confronting surface of said sheathing.

6. A panel in accordance with claim 5 wherein said other surface of saidstrip is perpendicular to said confronting surface of said sheathing.

7. A panel in accordance with claim 6 wherein said other surface of saidstrip is in abutting relation with the top edge of said roofingmaterial.

8. A panel in accordance with claim 4 and including a membrane disposedbetween said sheathing and said roofing material and also between saidsheathing and said strip.

9. A panel in accordance with claim 8 wherein said membrane extendsbeyond said strip in a direction away from said roofing material.

References Cited The following references, cited by the Examiner, are ofrecord in the patented file of this patent or the original patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Popular Mechanics, March 1956, p.212.

ALFRED C. PERHAM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

